Inside Selling Sunset Star Vanessa Villela's 'Magical and Cinematic' San Diego Wedding

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Vanessa Villela is married!

The Selling Sunset star, 44, officially tied the knot with fiance Nick Hardy on September 3. With 69 guests in attendance, the couple held their fairytale wedding at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego.

"I have very strong family roots within San Diego and the Fairmont was one of the favorite places for my late sister Jackie to visit. It seemed like the perfect place to bring the family back together," Villela tells Brides.

RELATED: See 'Selling Sunset' Star Vanessa Villela and Fiancé Nick Hardy's Romantic Engagement Photos

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After deciding on the perfect venue, the couple planned their wedding to be as "magical and cinematic" as possible, according to Villela. "We wanted the event to be intimate yet grand, and to create something that would blow people's minds," she adds.

Villela had an active role in selecting the designers and vendors that would make her dream wedding come to life. She personally spoke to each member before welcoming them on her team, and made sure to highlight the work of as many talented women as she could.

For the color palette, the pair selected the same blush, ivory and gold that was reflected on their wedding invitations. Candles and fairy lights created the perfect romantic ambiance at the evening ceremony.

RELATED: 'Selling Sunset' 's Vanessa Villela Is Engaged to Boyfriend Nick Hardy: 'You Are My Prince'

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Upon arrival, guests were welcomed into an "enchanted garden" with rows of white seats leading up to a dramatic flower-bedecked dome. White blooms were arranged to look like they had "grown in and around the dome and along the aisle," Villela recalls.

Shortly after the reality star was walked down the aisle by her brother, Tony Ferrari, Hardy and Villela exchanged vows. The most memorable moment might have been when doves flew out of a basket after the couple said "I do," but it was eclipsed by the one in which their rings briefly went missing.

The bride and groom recall, "When the rings were requested, no one knew who had them," but the mystery was quickly solved when the page boy came running down the aisle with a custom-made crystal box holding the jewelry.

During the reception, guests sipped on custom cocktails and enjoyed the live mariachi band that played during the couple's first dance.

RELATED: See 'Selling Sunset' Star Vanessa Villela's Surprise Bridal Shower: 'It Was Like a Fairytale'

CHRISTINE FLOWER/BRIDES

Villela and Hardy had been dating for less than a year when he popped the question at Los Angeles's Griffith Observatory in late January.

She announced her engagement to the photographer — who's also the Creative Director of Lascivious, a UK-based lingerie brand — by posting a video of the special moment on Instagram.

"One year ago I met the man of my dreams, the one [who] makes my heart skip every time, the man that makes me better in every single way, the man that I respect, adore, admire, and love with all my heart," she wrote in the post.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Selling Sunset real estate agent revealed that the couple first met online through the Raya app. "I always dreamt of finding my soulmate as a friend, because I feel like that's the most important thing you have to have in a relationship is friendship and a strong foundation," she said.